Three suspects posing as agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were arrested during an attempted extortion at a food store in Tambo, Parañaque, on Saturday.
The incident happened at around 3 a.m. while the suspects, identified as 44-year-old businessman alias Bernard, 24-year-old alias Lenon, and 29-year-old businessman alias John, entered Aseana claiming to be NBI agents.
They presented a fraudulent search warrant, alleging that the store was selling illegal tobacco and cigarettes.
They threatened the store's cashier, Shanine (19), and demanded that the store owner pay ₱100,000.00 to avoid legal penalties for selling illegal tobacco products.
While the suspects dismantled the store's CCTV cameras, ASEAN security guards noticed the commotion and intervened. Upon verification, it was learned they were not legitimate NBI agents and apprehended them.
Tambo Police Sub-Station personnel, who were near the area, were called to the scene and provided assistance to the incident, where they found evidence of the suspect’s fraud, including a fake search warrant.
Atty. Joseph Eufemio S. Martinez, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Director for Operations (DepCOS-ODDO) Supervising Agent, National Capital Region (NBI-NCR), National Bureau of Investigation, personally denied the arrested suspects as members of the agency.
In a separate incident, the same suspects had previously attempted extortion at a spa in Parañaque City on 1 September 2024, where they also posed as NBI agents and threatened the business owner.
The suspects are now facing complaints for robbery (extortion), usurpation of authority, malicious mischief, grave threat, and falsification of documents.
Police Brigadier General Bernard R. Yang, District Director, stated, “Our commitment to protecting the public remains steadfast, and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring justice to those who engage in such criminal activities.”